So here we are. Mark paints a scene on the lakeside; Jesus is telling stories from a boat just off the shore. By Capernaum to this day, the shore slopes gently down to the water. The water drops off so steeply that a boat can anchor close to the shore. The hillside is formed into a natural amphitheater that can easily hold 7-10,000 people sitting and standing, and everyone could hear Christ’s voice as He spoke.
So Jesus begins by saying, “Look!” Pointing off in the distance where a farmer is out working his field, “The sower went out to sow.” As He spoke, their eyes followed the action of that farmer sowing. Their minds were engaged; they knew what He said was true. This is the essence of the parabolic method. And Christ’s goal was always to take people from the here and now to transport them to the there and then.
Jesus always began with a common every day event that was happening at that moment on earth – and transported their minds heavenward; He began with the visible to get them thinking of the invisible; He began with the ordinary and led them to the extraordinary. Even a child could understand when Jesus told these stories.
But never forget that these were stories that, first and foremost, were spoken and responded to as they were heard. Jesus didn’t write them down to be dissected by the crowd – but spoke them to be mulled over and over in their minds.
Jesus went for an immediate response in their hearts. He wanted them to react in their hearts at that moment with truth, and then either seek more or sadly drift away. Parables are not allegories. A good allegory, like Pilgrim’s Progress, can be picked apart word by word. Every part has a deeper meaning. Parables are different. They are short stories with a simple message. Not every detail of a parable has a deeper meaning. A parable is like a flash of lightning followed by thunder. The best way to study them is to ask, “What would stick in someone’s mind as they stood or sat hearing this for the very first time?”
Starting with Mark 4, Jesus has changed gears. The strong rejection of His message by the religious leaders in chapter 3 was followed by a switch to parables. In fact, Jesus only uses parables from this point on in public teaching.
Jesus starts to target more than ever in His public ministry – individuals. Before parables, He was calling the nation of Israel to respond to the Kingdom of God. Now He asks for each person to examine their heart and see whether they would submit to God’s rule in their heart. So this parable is a presentation of the Gospel.
From KGD-31b – Four Hearts-One Soil (040418AM)
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